The Fire Still Burns
The trip out to California last week was a long one. All the seats were full, three across leaving no wiggle room for a big guy like me hahaha! It was a two-part trip with a change of planes. The first leg was Pittsburgh to Phoenix, which was 4 ½ hours. And only 25 minutes from the time I got off one plane to get to the other. Needless to say I just made the connector. Then a 1 ½ hour flight from Phoenix to Burbank, Ca. where I picked up my vehicle and drove to Corona, Ca to the hotel. The week was uneventful except for the California Freeway traffic! What a cluster !@#$%^&>:?<!!!!!! So that brings me to the reason of this post. After a week in California I was now not looking forward to that 5 ½ hours plane ride! But one thing was for sure I wanted OUT of California! I boarded the plane and sat beside a young man who looked to be in his early to mid thirties. He on the window side me on the aisle with a seat waiting to be filled in the middle. If you have never flown SWA I will tell you the seating is NOT assigned it is first come first served. So as the plane began to be filled I keep thinking, please no one choose the seat between us so that I have some of the before mentioned wiggle room! Hahaha And no one did! WOW! What a relief. So as the plane was leaving the ground the guy in my row says to me he doesn’t like planes especially take offs and landings. To which I reply, Don’t let it bother you because you are not leaving this life until your time has come and anyway its not the plane going down that is the problem it is that hard crash that is the issue! We both laughed and he said, you know I believe that about life ending only when your time is up and not before. Then the conversation went silent until we reached cruising altitude. And then we made small talk about where we were from, sports teams and occupations. He was from a beach city in California was a in the tile business and lived on a boat. Again after a few minutes the conversation went silent. Then I don’t remember how it came up but he said he was in a 12 Step Program for Alcoholism. We talked of that and of his progress to which I congratulated his on his sobriety. Then he proceed to tell me how his brother was this weird evangelical Christian who had figured out the world was going to end in thirty two months. He said his brother claims to have it down to the very day! Well then that opened the door for me to tell him the REAL GOOD NEWS! That the world already ended 2008 years ago and that his brother was redeemed and that he also was redeemed regardless if he accepted Jesus or not Jesus accepted him and lives in his heart! He said, so you believe my higher power is Jesus even though I don’t call it that”? “Yes I do” I responded. And he said that’s cool. “So you think Jesus is in everybody”, he said. “YES I do “, I responded. They just don’t know it yet. And that is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about I told him announcing to people what has already taken place. WITHOUT their acceptance or belief! Of course we went on to discuss many of the same things we talk of here on Bold Grace to which he said, “I wish my brother was here to hear this”! I can’t wait to get back from my trip to talk with him about what you have told me! I love my brother he said, but on this topic of religion he is a nut! I wished him well and requested that he always look within himself and follow his heart because that is where God is. He is not out there somewhere waiting for you to follow Him. He is inside waiting to be let out!
I was going to write of both of my encounters on this trip but I will post of the encounter with the Hollywood Pastor’s Wife in another post. Just as a little taste, we talked from Phoenix to Pittsburgh non stop for four hours!
Stay Tuned
To be continued…………….
Grace & Peace
Geo
Geo,
You are truly BOLD, to be able to talk so freely with folks about the gospel. It’s a lot harder for me to do that, because I already know most of the objections people have to it, and I don’t have very good answers for them. I’m glad you’re out there sharing the good news with people.
I can’t wait to hear the story about the pastor’s wife.
Peace,
Jason
Great story Geo. Every chance i get I find it so satisfying to share this perfect love. The sad thing is how people have been so confused by the message of religion that it seems to them most of the time to be just to good to be true.
That’s beautiful, Geo. A seed has been planted. And it will mature and spread new seeds, and the true gospel of Christ will change the world, one heart at a time.
Jason
You don’t have to have the answers! Just ask questions and see what happens. Like this question: “If love keeps NO RECORD of wrong as it says in 1 Corinthians 13 then how is there going to be a future judgment of people and the world”? Because for there to be a judgment there has to be a record! No record = NO JUDGMENT!
Peace
Geo
Geo,
What a conincidence! I just had that exact conversation with my wife last evening, after there was news of a death in her family.
Jason
Geo, what do you mean by “the world already ended 2008 years ago”? I know you are talking about the cross but what do you mean by “the world ended”. Thanks.
Jason
what was your wifes conclusion to that conversation?
hopefully she is at peace with the death of that loved one knowing that love keeps no record of wrong.
Julia
GREAT QUESTION!
The world that was to end that is talked about in the prophets was a world where God related to man through what he did, said & believed. And even that was mans idea! In the O.T. when the laws were given to the Jews, it was the people who received the law who declared, “we will follow your statutes and it will become our righteousness”. That world “aion” (age) not “kosmos” (terra firma) ended at the Cross. God NEVER once declared that He would destroy the “kosmos” (terra firma) world. It was the “aion” world (or age) that was to be destroyed.
Peace
Geo
Thanks for that!
Julia
Julia, what are your thoughts about what Geo said?
Still thinking!
I guess in a nutshell my problem with the idea that the old age has passed away and the new age has already begun would be:
How does current suffering fit into this picture? Wouldn’t this mean that already we should see the following:
” 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev 21:1-4
Do you believe that there is anything physical to look forward to after we die? Especially for those living with physical suffering in this life? Or for babies that are still born or a young child that dies? I see lots of grief around in this current age, so there in lies my problem with believing that the old order of things has passed away already.
I think that’s best how to express what I’ve been thinking.
Hey Geo/Bruce
I’m hanging out for your reply/s. It wasn’t a rhetorical question. I really am interested in your ideas!
Julia
Julia
I will answer in a few days or by next weekend. I am on the road and don’t have the time to give my answer now. In the mean time would Cliff or Steve like to weigh in on Julia’s questions?
Peace
Geo
That’s OK. I’d probably prefer an answer that you’ve had time to think about anyway. I just saw that you’d commented on “A Note to a Friend” and thought you may have thought my question was rhetorical. I understand you are working! No problem.
Just a quick response…
Julia, If you look at Revelations as something to come then that may be where we walk different paths. If you read the book from the beginning you will see that it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ and NOT the Revelation of the Apostle John. In the first few chapters of that book John gives some very important points that the majority of christianity has missed.
#1) As stated above it is the Revelation of Jesus NOT John.
#2) Traditional Christianity says that John received the Revelation on The Isle of Patmos. If you read it in context John states that he was “in the spirit” on “THE LORD’S DAY” Traditional Christianity says that means on a SUNDAY he was in the spirit. But if you read all of the Prophets of the OT you will see that phrase used as, THE LORD’S DAY, THE DAY OF THE LORD, A DAY OF RECKONING, THAT GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY, ETC… It was all describing ONE DAY in time not SUNDAY. But a specific day in history in which the world would be judged. That was The Day of The Cross. It was at the foot of the Cross ie THE LORD’S DAY as John put it. This is where he received The Revelation of Jesus Christ. John at the foot of the Cross saw in the spirit what was happening in the body of Jesus as he hung on the Cross.
#3) John was on Patmos because of what he was about to tell in the rest of the book. He had already preached to the world what he was recording while on Patmos. It says he was on Patmos because of The Revelation and the Word given to him at The Cross.
Okay gotta go. More later if and when I get time
Peace
Geo
Thanks very much. I will try and make time to have a read of Revelation with this in mind. I usually avoid Revelation because it scares the #@!+% out of me!
You’d better get to work!
Julia
If you read Revelation in the context of it happening in the Body of Christ on The Cross then as it says in that book, “Blessed are they that read the words of this book” You will be BLESSED! Do not fear Revelations it is a wonderful account of what would have happend on that day 2008 years ago if The Cross had not been raised.
Peace
Geo
Great story, Geo. That made the trip worth it.
it sure did Don!
By the way I should be in the Dallas area sometime in
November. I hope we can hook up at least for a meal?
Peace
Geo
Sounds good!!
Hey, I’m going to be in Dallas in November too! Wouldn’t it be great if we were all there at the same time? I don’t have a date yet, but will let you guys know as soon as I get it.
OK….I can take a hint. We HAVE to get together. ALL three of us. Start planning. I’ll make room on my “busy” schedule…No excuses…This meeting HAS to happen!!
As soon as I get the date I will let you all know. I most likely won’t know until sometime in October.
Peace
Geo
Hello Julia,
Are you still mulling over the things geo said about brother John’s book concerning the revelation of Jesus?
I also avoided the book for many years. It is religion’s favorite book because it is written in symbols and numbers that are hard to understand, unless you happen to be a Hellenistic Jew from the first century!
It is not a book about a boogeyman who comes to destroy the earth and mostly succeeds. Instead, as geo points out, it is what brother John says it is in the very first verse: a book of the revealing, the unveiling, the discovery of the great mystery of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is being revealed in you, Julia. Slowly, because you are free to be fearful and hesitant to surrender to him. That’s just fine with Jesus; there is no condemnation in him. Not a speck. There is something in each of us that is very much against giving in to Jesus; this part of us is anti-Christ, you see. Man was created on the sixth day. The number of the beast who won’t give in to Jesus is six six six: man man man. It’s okay. Jesus is already reigning; he’s just waiting for us to realize it.
The creation was completed in seven days. When a first-century Jewish person sees or hears “seven”, she thinks “complete”. Done. Perfect. Finished. Seven. Understanding this has not “explained” the book to me, but it has helped to open my understanding.
One more word and I will hush. The Lamb’s Book of Life is not an earthly book. It is not made of paper and ink. It’s pages are the lives of men, the color of its ink is the very deepest, richest, royal blood-crimson, and every name but One, thank God, is blotted out. All good will, and every excellent hope, and always love, brother alan
Thanks Brother Alan. Yes I am still mulling! Looked at the beginning of Revelation but thought I might compare a few different translations. I liked the idea of being blessed by it though! That was a different concept for sure.
Geo and Alan, Both of your posts have helped me understand the book of revelation, wonderful posts! thank you! I now see tradional christianity as milk for babes and the gospel of Grace the meat. Because he first loved us - Sue